Just wanted to acknowledge the Port of Long Beach for suggesting that we all “go green” to the Green Port Fest on Saturday, October 3. A press release from the Port urges all attendees to consider other ways of getting to the event besides driving, or driving alone. Considering that last year 10,000 people attended, this seems like a very smart suggestion!
The Port and Long Beach Transit are collaborating to offer free bus passes. Shuttle buses will take people from the Queen Mary, where the Passport service ends, over to the festival. The Port’s also offering bicycle valet services, so if you ride to the event you can rest assured your bike will be safe and secure while you’re strolling around. The Port’s even offering an innovative guided bicycle tour of the waterfront! This almost (but not quite) makes me want to get on a bicycle.
One mode of travel not mentioned in the Port’s release is the Blue Line, but it’ll take you right to Pine Avenue, where you can pick up the Passport bus to the Queen Mary. There’s plenty of parking at the Willow and Wardlow Stations (at least on a Saturday).
I’m glad the Port is urging everyone to think outside the usual “box” of driving everywhere. It’s true that the comfort and privacy of our own cars is hard to beat – and usually the driving trip is quicker than most alternatives, though not always. But sometimes transportation can be about saving money on gas and parking, about appreciating our city, about meeting our fellow Long Beach residents, about walking a bit more than usual.
As state policy begins to push us towards reducing greenhouse gases from transportation – notably, SB 375 is doing this, whether we like it or not – we’ll all need to do what the Port is urging us to do: consider alternatives to driving, even just once in a while. Try it – you might like it!
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